Various access devices may be used to provide access to a patient's internal systems (such as cardiovascular system, endocrine system, respiratory system, excretory system, digestive system, etc.) from outside the patient's body. For example, a central venous access device, such as a PORT-A-CATH® device, may be installed beneath the skin of a patient. The central venous access device includes a portal having a septum, and a catheter that runs from the portal and is surgically inserted into a vein. The septum is made of a special self-sealing silicone rubber that may be punctured hundreds of times before it weakens significantly. A health professional may puncture the septum with a needle through the skin of the patient to gain access to the central venous access device to deliver medicine, deliver nutrition, or withdraw blood.
Covers may be used to protect surgically implanted central venous access devices when not in use or accessed. Examples of those covers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,220,079 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0040921. The complete disclosures of the above references are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes
Another example of an access device is a peripherally inserted central catheter (i.e., PICC or PIC line) that is inserted in a peripheral vein in the arm of a patient and then advanced toward the heart through increasingly larger veins, until the tip rests in the distal superior vena cave or cavoatrial junction of the patient. The area in which the PIC line is inserted through the skin of the patient and in a peripheral vein of the patient may sometimes be referred to as an “insertion site” of the patient's body. A catheter tail (typically with a cap) stays external the patient's arm for access by a health professional, such as to deliver medicine, deliver nutrition, or withdraw blood.
When such access devices are used, there may be some portions of the device that are external to the patient's body. For example, the PICC includes a catheter tail or tube that extends out of the patient's arm. Even when the access devices are substantially (or completely) internal, use of those devices requires one or more tubes (or tubing) that are partially or completely external to the patient's body. For example, a tube or tubing is normally attached to the needle that is used to puncture through the skin and the septum of a central venous access device to provide a passage for delivery of the medicine or nutrition, or for withdrawing blood. The area in which the needle punctures through the skin of the patient and into the septum may be referred to as an “insertion site” of the patient's body.
Instead of puncturing the septum with the needle before every use, some health professional or patients may choose to leave the needle and tubing connected to the central venous access device for future use. This sometimes may be referred to as maintaining “access” to the central venous access device.
Having tubes and/or other components external to a patient's body may be problematic for certain types of patients, such as infants, toddlers, mentally disabled patients, and elderly patients. For example, those patients may push, pull, and/or otherwise manipulate the external components, which may result in loss of access, infection, and/or other complications.